The first Saturday in October provided some clarity in college football and also a massive shakeup in the AP poll. Four top 10 teams lost on Saturday, and another five ranked teams went down as well. While a couple of those losses came to other ranked teams, the weekend was full of upsets that changed the poll.
While No. 8 Arkansas and No. 9 Notre Dame lost to top 10 teams, No. 3 Oregon and No. 10 Florida lost to unranked squads. The Big 10 and Group of Five took advantage of those falls to take the top 10 spots this week.
As a result of Saturday’s carnage, Iowa moved up two spots to No. 3, and Penn State held firm at No. 4. With Ohio State moving up to No. 7, Michigan to No. 9, and Michigan State to No. 11, the Big Ten has five teams in the top 11. Iowa and Penn State are set for a top-five showdown on Saturday with the Hawkeyes -2.5 at home.
Cincinnati jumped two spots to No. 5 after winning at Notre Dame, and undefeated BYU is now No. 10, giving the Group of Five a pair of playoff contenders. The SEC holds the top two spots with Alabama and Georgia, while Oklahoma rounds out the top 10 at No. 6.
Clarity At the Top
While there are still 15 unbeaten teams in the AP Top 25, there is clearly a gap after the top two. Alabama thrashed No. 12 Ole Miss 42-21 in a game that wasn’t really that close. The Tide ran for 210 yards and tallied 451 total yards of offense while holding the Rebels to 78 rushing yards on 34 carries.
Quarterback Bryce Young threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns while Brian Robinson Jr. ran for 171 yards and four scores. Alabama scored 21 points in the second quarter to lead 28-0 at the half, and they led by 35 before Ole Miss got on the board.
Next up for Alabama is a trip to now unranked Texas A&M on Saturday night and the Tide are -17.5 against an Aggies team that lost at home to Mississippi State on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Georgia continued to show they are one of, if not the best defensive team in the country. They shut out No.8 Arkansas 37-0 while holding the Razorbacks to 162 total yards. Arkansas was the Cinderella of the early season with wins over Texas and Texas A&M, but they were no match for the Bulldogs.
Arkansas completed just ten passes for 87 yards, and they averaged 2.6 yards per rush in the game. Georgia meanwhile ran for 273 yards and controlled the game with nearly 37 minutes of possession. Zamir White scored three times, and Georgia led 21-0 after the first quarter.
Georgia has a tough schedule in October with four straight-ranked opponents, three remaining. They head to No. 18 Auburn as a two-touchdown favorite next Saturday before hosting No. 16 Kentucky and playing No. 20 Florida at a neutral site.
Group Of Five Moving Up
The win at Notre Dame gives Cincinnati a much-needed resume boost in their quest for a playoff spot. They controlled the game throughout and won 24-13 in what is likely their only game against a ranked opponent this season. The 4-0 Bearcats get the national spotlight Friday night as they host Temple, and they are favored by 28.
BYU moved to 5-0 with a 34-20 win at Utah State on Friday night. The Cougars are 3-0 against Power Five teams with wins over Arizona, No. 21 Utah, and No. 19 Arizona State. Playing as an independent, BYU still has two games left against Pac-12 teams (Washington State and USC), one against the ACC (Virginia), and one against the Big 12 (Baylor).
This weekend BYU hosts Boise State on Saturday afternoon, and the Cougars are -3.5. Boise State is down this year with a record of just 2-3 but still, add to the Cougars strength of schedule as the Broncos have faced Oklahoma State and UCF in non-conference games.
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